Giants RB Wilson to appear at Walden fundraiser

If you'd like to meet Giants running back David Wilson — and help a good cause — he will be in Orange County later this month.

BY WILLIAM MONTGOMERY

If you'd like to meet Giants running back David Wilson — and help a good cause — he will be in Orange County later this month.

Wilson will appear at a Be The Movement, Inc., fundraiser at the Walden Firehouse on Sunday, April 28. The event begins at 1 p.m. Wilson will sign autographs and take photos with fans from 2-3:30 p.m. Tickets are $30.

Walden Mayor Brian Maher met an associate of Wilson's at Maher's annual fundraiser at a Hudson Valley Renegades game last summer. Maher, a big Giants and Yankees fan, let it be known that he'd enjoy having Wilson be a part of his non-profit fundraiser in the spring.

Wilson, taken with the 32nd pick of the 2012 draft out of Virginia Tech, was the Giants' primary kick returner last season. He set a Giants record with 1,533 kick return yards.

As the backup to Ahmad Bradshaw, Wilson ran for 358 yards and four touchdowns on 71 attempts. Wilson will likely be the Giants' No. 1 running back in 2013.

Be The Movement, Inc., began as Maher's political fundraising organization, but he turned it into a non-profit after being elected in 2009 at the age of 23. Now in its fifth year, the back-to-school giveaway has donated more than 1,000 backpacks full of school supplies to needy students.

"We want to inspire people young and old to get more involved with community service," Maher said. "We have a few annual events, but our most important is the back-to-school giveaway."

The money raised through the Wilson fundraiser, which Maher expects will sell out quickly, will go toward purchasing backpacks and school supplies. Maher hopes to give away at least 600 backpacks this year.

"People that are a little more affluent in this economy are still hurting," Maher said. "We try to encourage people, because sometimes those who are poor are a little too proud to ask for help. By inviting the entire community and admitting that we're all hurting, it kind of gives those people who otherwise wouldn't come out because they feel embarrassed, they come out because everyone is there. The whole community is there."